My Dearest Nemesis

Forgettable but sweet rom-com, ending + relationship dynamic could have been improved

I truly had a lot of fun watching this rom-com : it had all the feel of a classic romantic drama featuring rich heir and hardworking poor heroine trope, combined with a dash of noona romance. Some recipes never grow old on me... Having said that, there are certainly a couple of things that I would have like to see handled differently in the story.

I mostly regret the overall trajectory of the grand-mother and the direction the scenario decided to take that character towards the end of the series. It made no sense and felt really too easy and unrealistic. It is not necessarily realism that matter the most for a colorful rom-com adapted from a webtoon...But the way the script handled the situation with the grand-mother was ultra frustrating to me. And while I loved and found very cute the relationships between the main characters from enemies-to-lovers, I would have liked to see more variety in their dynamic. The heroine is very caring with the main male lead, but sometimes it felt a bit exaggerated how she treated him like a child. The characterization of the male lead is definitely in line with the numerous childish / needy / traumatized chaebol encountered in rom-coms...But honestly, even if I found a lot of their moments very cute as the heroine was healing the inner child of the hero, I would not have minded more variety, maturity and nuance in some scenes.

Despite those few flaws, there are a lot to love in the series. Not only the main romance is super cute, but I was also very much into the secondary romance. I also truly appreciated the overall production value, with the colorful sets featuring the hobbies of the hero. I enjoyed quite a lot the OST, especially the rock band songs: it was such a fun and youthful vibe. I started it for its main cast and they did not disappoint : Choi Hyun Wook did an excellent job with his character who is utterly adorable in his love with Mun Ka Young's character. Her acting is solid as well as her character remains very endearing all along the story. Among the cast, I was also very impressed by Go Chang Seok who plays the father of the heroine, as he was able to touch me with very little dialog and scenes. Truly, one of the best aspect of the show!

I would recommend this to people looking for a cute, relatively classical rom-com. It is using the very well-know recipe from many drama, with the rich Chaebol and the hardworking heroine, with a touch of noona romance and of pop culture with the geek aspects. I regret some narrative choice for the ending and wished for more variety in the dynamic of the main couple but overall it was matching my expectations in terms of cute rom-com.

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Brings back feelings I almost forgot!

The premise is pretty simple and you'd have to close eyes about the coincidences but it's all worth it as the characters are such a joy to watch. It's mostly focused on two couples and an overbearing grandmother, but my favorite support are the female lead's father and the male lead's secretary.

I don't often find dramas with osts that aren't either too quiet or too loud at the most cliche times, so I'm biased when the soundtrack is done right. The original music of this drama isn't shy to add to the full experience of enjoying the scenes.

Choi Hyun Wook just climbed up the top of the versatile Korean actors to watch out for in my book with roles varying from melodrama to comedy to action.

Moon Ga Young's character is headstrong. Such in dramas can sometimes be stereotypical or annoying but hers involves practicality and understandable innocence.

I appreciate the attempt at covering what's considered "weird and low" in certain societies such as having particular hobbies, being divorced, a soft man pursuing a woman in a serious way without making the character humorous to pair with the cinema of a dominant woman.

It's a lovely drama that makes me remember a relationship can feel good.

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Lukewarm romcom with a weak-ish ending

The Good
⌲ It's quite fun early on. (lots of bickering & we get some of the more fun romcom cliches)
⌲ The quick resolution of the breakup
⌲ The lack of triangles and other geometric shapes
⌲ The fact that it's a noona romance

The Average
⌲ The chemistry
⌲ The meh second lead couple
⌲ The final two episodes (not terrible outside of grandma's 2-3 scenes, but on the boring side)
⌲ I'm sure the drama had an OST, but I cannot recall any of it & it's only been minutes since the rolling credits.
⌲ The writing (the plot and the dialog both are really average)

The Bad
⌲ The trash grandma
⌲ Grandma's awful -and predictable- mini redemption ark in the finale (this is disrespectful to the audience considering how important her role & impact is in the drama)
⌲ It is my impression after 4 dramas that this director has the tendency of not calling the NG when woman actors produce awkward lines. (I like Moon Ga Yong, but she is human and she has made some acting hiccups in the show, quite probably not her fault that no reshooting of those scenes has occurred and I recall similar things from Shi*ng Stars etc..)
⌲ It's too shallow. (even for a kdrama romcom)

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I don't regret watching this, but compared to romcoms such as Secretary Kim, Business Proposal, Secret Life of my Secretary it really falls short. (and even those are quite controversial on MDL for understandable reasons)

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A Lighthearted Romp with a Predictable Plot

This is your classic enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy, filled with familiar tropes and a quirky premise. An average girl and a wealthy heir start as sworn enemies, only to (surprise!) fall for each other. While the concept is fun, the plot is thin, predictable, and doesn't go deep enough to truly hook you. It's a breezy, low-stakes watch that entertains but won’t leave a lasting impression.

The first episode is easily the highlight. The leads meet through an online game, get sucked into a virtual quest as their avatars, and hilarity ensues when the female lead realizes her crush-worthy gaming partner is actually an eighth-grader. His confident love confession versus her mortified reaction sets the comedic tone perfectly. Special shoutout to Moon Woo Jin, who absolutely nails the younger version of Ban Ju Yeon with his goofy charm and energy—it’s a scene-stealer.

Fast forward to adulthood, and we meet the polished Ban Ju Yeon (Choi Hyun Wook), who carefully hides his hilariously immature side from everyone, and the hardworking, relatable Baek Su Jeong (Mun Ka Young). Both actors are great individually—Choi brings dorky awkwardness to what could’ve been a clichéd "rich heir" role, and Mun adds warmth and depth as a breadwinner with a lot on her plate. But here’s where things get more layered: Ban Ju Yeon isn’t just the typical stoic chaebol. Years of emotional abuse from his cold, controlling grandmother have left him starved for love and forced to suppress his true self. Choi Hyun Wook does a great job conveying this vulnerability beneath his polished exterior, giving the character surprising emotional depth. It’s also why his connection with Baek Su Jeong—and by extension, her warm, accepting family—feels so significant. They’re not just romantic partners; they’re his first real taste of unconditional care.

That said, when it comes to their romantic chemistry, something still feels... off. Their banter leans more sibling-like, and while it’s funny, the romance feels half-baked. You want sparks, but you mostly get flickers. Thankfully, the show balances this by pairing the main couple with a more grounded secondary couple who, truth be told, steal the spotlight. Their opposites-attract dynamic—a divorced woman finding her footing and a man experiencing his first 'real' relationship—feels fresh and mature. They bring a nice contrast to the main leads’ journey of navigating their first love.

Not everything lands, though. The male lead’s grandmother, set up as the cold, manipulative “villain,” feels unnecessarily harsh. Blaming Ban Ju Yeon for his father’s death and using the family business as a weapon against him adds drama, but it’s overdone and often feels out of place in a romcom. Her redemption at the end feels rushed and abrupt, with no convincing reason for her change of heart, making it even less satisfying.

Ultimately, "My Dearest Nemesis" is a harmless, easy watch for when you’re in the mood for something light and silly. It won’t blow your mind or reinvent the genre, but the gaming sequences, age-gap twist, and lovable side characters keep things interesting enough. Add in the emotional layers of the male lead’s journey, and it’s a tad more heartwarming than your average snack-sized romcom—not very filling, but enjoyable while it lasts.

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Couldn't bring myself to finish this one

I started watching this drama with literally zero expectations then in the end even a zero felt more. A grandma blaming a kid for his parents' death, burning his toys and stuff. it must be good for those who like crying over pitiful leads as for me i get bored easily .. i cant handle too much of this sort of plot. we all have our own moments when our spirit was destroy by a craft and corrupt adult ..dont we ? though some of us have faced it more while others find an escape, but for the sake of holy heavens, dont make be feel pitiful about a man who's living in penthouse worth millions, ordering and getting any collectable from any part of world irrespective of the price, keeping them in a god damn vault pricier than my entire net worth.... hhhhuuuuhhh! (breathing in ..breathing out)

I think that's enough for this review... thank you !!

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A bit disappointing, but overall ok watch.

This review is mostly negative, because i was hoping for much more.
There are two big disappointing things for me here. The premise went unused for most of the show, its pretty much just tropey employer(chaebol)/employee kdrama. The second thing is the FL and the ML dont really work together, while they are both a bit stunted emotionaolly, the ML is on another level. ML seems very childish, and yes i know there is background explaining it, but that doesnt change things. She is super professional and driven to the point of apparently ousting 3 previous directors, but she relatively easily for the new guy? A lot of things just dont feel earned. Like how is the ML so good at everything? Him being so young, he didnt have time to master so many things and business while also leading secret nerd life.
The reasoning for grandma chairwoman being a hateful hag is flimsy at best, so her hating the ML feels just a convenient plot device.

From the premise i was expecting some workplace rivalry and bickering after they find out they were into each other as teens, but that premise was avoided for half the show, only to be resolved in one episode. "Oh no we hate each other, but we love each other now, oh whatever will we do?" "Never mind, we are over it now".
Its like they needed a hook for people, but didnt want to bother developing it too much. They even made the secondary couple keep them from finding out. Btw, the secondary couple feels much more solid and would have prefered they got more screentime. Though the secondary couple is another case of classic kdrama magical coincidence of the friends of the leads dating. They could have just made it that one of the leads introduced them, but no, just a coincidence and basically a secret from the leads for a while.

Honestly the last two episodes felt more as fulfilling a commitment to finishing a show than enjoyable closing of a story. Didnt feel like there was anything at stake, just gotta pad the last two episodes runtime. The FL got an opportunity for a job in US in much better position, from a former coleague we never heard about, but that got declined pretty fast and caused only a little drama with the ML, that didnt feel serious at all.

The acting from all the main characters was pretty good and enjoyable. Though i think the FL was played a bit too cutesy at times and the ML childish, but that could be due to the direction and script.
Production wise it was pretty solid, cant much complain there.
On a personal note i enjoy seeing all the product placement in kdramas and there is plenty here, so i had fun with those. I think they were mostly handled decently and incorporated into the scenes without much intrusion, but i can see people being put off by some of them.

Anyways while i have many complaints, its a decent show and enjoyable watch if you dont mind tropey stuff.

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Hard to stay invested in this drama

"Do you want to sleep with me?" So says second female lead to second male lead around ep 3. Honestly I nearly fell off my chair. K-dramas are nearly always so modest, so conservative, it' quite common for a series to end with a chaste kiss, which is little more than 2 sets of lips pressed together.

In this drama, the second leads meet, and within a few hours, not only has the female propositioned the male but he accepted and they spend the night together. Not only that, the female lead is not interested in a relationship, she's just after a hook-up. Traditionally, women would be shamed and blamed for such an interaction, so such a positive portrayal of female sexuality without the need to judge is quite revolutionary in a K-drama land. So I applaud this series for a daring to portray a different kind of relationship.

However, other characters say some pretty cruel shaming things to each other at times - the initial scene where female lead finds out male lead has lied about his age - the things she says to him are unconscionably cruel. However, despite these cruel moments there are also gentle moments of tenderness and vulnerability - so there is some attempt at balance.

Overall I like the message which is, "be who you are, and don't be ashamed of it. Own it." It's a great message.

However, I am going to drop this title because I find the female lead too dislikeable. She's just not sympathetic, because she is too cruel. I understand the need to create conflict in a drama to keep the excitement factor going and provide barriers to overcome, but you still need to be able to like the characters and sympathise with their flaws. Between her and the grandmother on this show, there are just too many bullying women and I can't sustain any kind of emotional involvement with it.

So adios, to this drama - I hope the people learn and grow, but I'm not invested enough to care.

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So much good but yet so draggy... and cringe.

A drama that could have been so good but managed to become draggy and meeh even though it only had 12 episodes.
The best part about this drama is the combination of its cast reuniting some of my beloved actors/actresses from dramas I have loved before.

Im Se Mi, Mun Ka Young and a flash of Oh Eui Shik from True Beauty an d Son Sang Yeon and Choi Hyun Wook from Racket Boys. Was a true pleasure to watch and honestly sp where the rest of the side characters. Interesting, fun no one was to muc over the top and the only yelling and over the top mimics where preformed by Mun Ka Young.
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The story had a lot of pottental a lovable cliche with a twist and a really cool bad ass female lead that has worked hard and refuses to bow down to oppressors... With an I don't care if Im poor or a woman, I have worked hard and so should you type of attitude a true super woman who can fix anything and do anything... However she also has this awkwerd bad lier aura that had me rolling my eyes one to many times.

Our male lead is a adorable, bubbly and cold, rich, sweet but also slightly pathetic... at times in a good way but other times he just feels off.

The twists where rushed yet still felt draggy, the monologs where not only repetitive but seemed to never end.... And though I wanted to give Im Se Mi a 10 for being all round fun to watch I just could not overlook the rest.

However it is an okay binge, there is a lot of good in it and and sweet, cool moments in more or lesss every corner. Just mind the draggy parts and the cringe in the second half of the drama and you should be fine.

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A Bland Tasteless Beige

As avid drama watchers, I believe we are all used to watching certain themes, tropes and plot lines repeat themselves. Sometimes, they are just average, sometimes, they surprise us. This time, it disappointed.

When I first heard of this drama, I simply heard that the actors were cast together and a simple description of the plot. Perhaps, I went into this with better than average expectations, since I knew the actors had a wide range of acting skill, and the plot had interesting niche's that are popular with many societies, but still under represented - gaming, rock music, comics etc.

This drama took all those exciting opportunities and made the most boring bland show ever:
- the niche hobbies were thrown away and only appeared when needed to prove that ML was "different" and most of the show it wasn't a FL loves ML for his quirks, but 15/16 episodes it was FL "tolerates" ML's quirks. I thought it would be such a great opportunity to show girls too are interested in games and comics, but instead they made her so stereotypicaly boring, even though most bullied kids have a hobby to release their frustration.

- the bullying and family issues were useless and held no value. The family issue got solved in the last ep because two people saying something apparently made someone go 180 degrees in their entire personality? The bullying added no value, empathy or any sort of character growth. Usually these issues hold some learning experience, instead they just created unnecessary drama and waste of viewers time, one that could've explored their relationship dynamics more.

- the jokes and tropes were so stereotypical to the rich male, poor female theme, when they had SO many more to explore - gaming tropes, young bf older gf tropes....

This was so disappointing, because even though drama's like "Business Proposal" or "What's Wrong with Secretary Kim?" are a repetitive beige, they're a soft, warm, comforting beige that makes you feel nice inside. If it hadn't been beige, if it had actually delved into those under-represented niche's with lore and references we'd get, it could've held so much potential.

The acting was restricted to the boring and uninteresting characters the writers made, so even their talent couldn't outshine this mess. The music was forgetful, and the only salvaging moments were the 2nd couple. Overall, I regret starting this drama, and the last four episodes I had to watch 2x speed just to get through them.

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